United Nations (UN) states that the growing demand for water, as populations around the world grow, and the global warming climate – will lead to demand for water exceeding supply by 40% by 2030 - writes MoneyWeek this month. Basically, half of the world’s population could soon be experiencing water shortage – having access to less than 1,000 cubic metres of drinkable water per person per year.
Experts warn that, in the future, conflicts and wars might break out all over the world over access to water supplies. For example, a conflict was just avoided last year between Egypt and Ethiopia over a proposed dam. In the United States, legal battles over the routes of rivers and lakes are going on between several states.
Severe droughts in Brazil, California and other places are hitting the agricultural sector hard, and lots of farming businesses are closing down. In some areas, people have to rely on bottled water for washing. In some regions of Brazil, where mains supplies have been turned off to restrict the supply of water – water is now on ration, and diseases carried by mosquitoes, breeding in water improperly stored in stagnating tanks, are starting to spread.
The good news is, however, that the governments are now starting to invest in infrastructure to tackle the growing problem of water supply, such as building of desalination plants which turn salt water into drinkable water. World water companies are now investing in technologies for using underground water supplies and water recycling plants. Water is rapidly becoming one of the most valuable commodities.
